We shoot portraits in nature. Portrait photography

Portrait is not only the most popular genre of photography, but also one of the most difficult. In order to get a really high quality portrait, it is not enough just to set the correct exposure and get a sharp image.

A portrait, first of all, should carry information about a person's character, his inner world, mood and emotional state.

To convey this information to the viewer, you first need to catch it in the frame, which requires a lot of experience and a sense of the moment from the photographer. As there are photographers, there are as many ways to take a portrait. There are no restrictions on creativity in a portrait, there are only a few rules to follow.

In this article, I'll cover some of the basics when shooting portraits both in and out of the studio. The material will be useful both for novice amateur photographers and those who wish to raise the level of their photographs an order of magnitude higher.

What you need to take a portrait

Lens

The lens is the most important element of any camera, the level of which is determined by the type of materials used, the quality of their processing, functionality, aperture ratio, focal length range, etc. etc. The higher these indicators are, the more expensive the product is. There are lenses, the price of which exceeds the cost of a 3-room apartment with European-quality repair (100-200 thousand euros). But the article is not about that. You can often see a portrait (close-up) of a beautiful girl with a deformed face, the central part of which is slightly convex - the effect of a "big nose".

Distance from camera to model 1.6 - 1.8 m

This effect can be caused by high lens distortion or other factors, which are listed below. You can shoot a portrait with a lens with any focal length, but on one condition: you cannot approach the subject closer than 1.6 - 1.8 m. Only at this distance the natural proportions of the face are preserved and distortion is excluded. Otherwise, you will get a portrait with a distorted face, the so-called "big nose" effect will work.

85mm or 135mm lens

Shooting with a normal (standard) 50 mm. with a lens or a compact camera (soap box), see the photo above, an amateur photographer, wanting to take a close-up portrait, naturally comes closer to the person being portrayed, not suspecting that he thereby determines the future distortion of the image in advance. Therefore, the best option for shooting portraits is a lens with a focal length of 85 or 135 mm.

Shooting with such a lens from a distance of no closer than 1.6-1.8 m, we get a close-up with minimal background influence, while maintaining the natural proportions of the main object. To reduce the sharpness of the background and excessive sharpness of the foreground (to beat off the background), shoot with an aperture of F 5.6 or with a larger hole.

Remember, the higher the lens aperture (the lower the F number, for example: 1: 1.4), the wider the range of options for adjusting the exposure and depth of field. This means more opportunities for the implementation of the tasks and plans of the photographer.

Light

It doesn't matter what kind of lighting equipment you use, studio light or simple external flash units. It is important that there is light (including natural) and you know how to use it correctly.

Camera

Again, it doesn't matter which camera you use: film or digital, it is important that you have it in working order.

Photo studio

Having your own photography studio is great, but it is not necessary to have a photo studio. As practice shows, using combined or natural light when shooting portraits outside the studio, you can get great results. Where you shoot the portrait - it doesn't matter, what matters, how and why. Therefore, if you do not have a photo studio, do not be discouraged, learn to shoot portraits, shoot wherever possible, and you will be rewarded.

Light sensitivity (ISO)

What is the optimal ISO setting for portrait photography?

It all depends on the shooting conditions, the nature of the picture, the goals and ideas of the photographer. Depending on the capabilities of the camera, lens aperture, lighting devices, set ISO 50 or 100. As a rule, for high technical image quality, under normal photography conditions, you should use the lowest ISO value.

The higher the ISO numerical value, the more noise in midtones and shadows, hence the lower the technical quality of the photo. This rule applies to both digital and film cameras. For the latter, those. the quality of the picture is determined by the level of used photographic materials during production and processing.

Shutter speed (shutter speed)

The shutter speed when shooting portraits should be as short as possible to capture the most natural facial expression and prevent image blur (wiggle). Optimum shutter speed = 1 / 200sec.

Exposure metering (metering method)

In order not to lose a good shot due to "flying out" areas of light, when shooting a portrait, you should use a center-weighted exposure metering method. The camera measures the entire field of the frame, assigning the greatest weight to its central part, thereby preventing overexposure of light areas of skin and clothing.

Interacting with the model

A portrait photographer must necessarily be a bit of a psychologist, to feel the state of a person. The photographer's task is to capture the maximum of emotions in a short time. But in order to evoke emotions, it is necessary to find those strings that will best help a person open up. A photographer must be sociable in order to create a creative and relaxed atmosphere in a photo studio or in the open air, see the photo below.

Tandem "photographer-model"

Jokes of all kinds also help to reveal the model. The tandem “photographer-model” is what the shooting process should be based on. If the model is constrained, squeezed, throw all your efforts to "stir up" it, and only after that start shooting if you want to get dynamic and vivid images.

Some girls, having come to be photographed with a professional photographer for the first time, are simply afraid of the camera. At this moment, their only thought is "how do I look?" As a result, we do not record a person's mood, but his reaction to an object in our hands - a camera. In front of which she, as in front of a mirror, tries to play, to correspond to the image of beauty that she has created for herself, which only she can like. She subconsciously changes her facial expression, wants to appear better, but "better" in her own understanding.

Digital photography has a very big plus - you can immediately show the result. The model, seeing herself in “her own image”, realizes how ridiculous she looks, and then listens more attentively to the words of the photographer. Before shooting, the photographer must clearly know what he wants to shoot. He must have sketches of future pictures in his imagination (and preferably also on paper), so that during the shooting process he does not bore himself or the model with unnecessary poses and the search for an image.

Experimenting with angles

The portrait should not be boring, canonical. Do not get attached to any one point when shooting. The more often you change the position of the camera, the more interesting angles you can find.
The model frozen in one position is a guarantee of the failure of the photo session. Feel free to experiment. It happens that the most successful shot of the entire session may be hidden in an unusual position of the camera, model, position of the light source, etc. Do not use formulaic model poses. Photography is an art form where every photographer must in one way or another stand out among his colleagues. Strive to create your own style.

Cropping

When choosing a framing option for a portrait, be sure to "cut off" the arms, hands, legs, and head correctly. You cannot cut off a part of the palm or foot as shown in the photo. It is better not to cut your palms / feet at all, and leave them whole. It is permissible to cut the legs just above the knees, and the arms above the elbow. It is not always possible to adhere to these rules, but you need to be aware of this and pay attention to this when composing the frame. In the article, choosing a photographer, there is also information about this, there are examples of cropping.

Air in the frame - background lines

Empty space in a shot can be a powerful compositional move. Get away from "jammed" frames. When shooting a portrait against the background of nature, avoid passing the horizon lines and / or lines of architectural structures, as it were, through the head of the model. When choosing an angle, make sure that, for example, an electric pole or any element of architecture or decoration that is contrasting with respect to the general background does not grow out of the model's head.

Looking outside the camera

Looking outside the camera can be very beneficial, although it may not be as intimate as when looking directly. When framing, try to leave room in the composition for the model to see.

Individuality

Often a person's personality is revealed in random shots. In the process of shooting, as a rule, there are short pauses between the preparation of this or that frame, the choice of a good angle and / or the position of chiaroscuro. But even in such moments, the photographer should not relax too much, be always on the alert, as you can miss a good shot.

Direct gaze

A direct look, a challenge in the eyes can reveal the character traits of a model, show hidden emotions. A direct gaze can win over the viewer, but it can also repel. This must be taken into account when shooting a portrait. But, again, it all depends on the idea of ​​a particular shot, as well as on what emotions the portrait should evoke in the viewer.

Background in studio

A photo session on one background looks boring. The background in the studio must be changed from time to time, so that during further processing you can play with imagination, add various elements of the image to the background. If you are going to completely change the background in a photo, for example, to a landscape with a green forest, then it is advisable to use a green background in the studio to make it easier to cut out in the editor. Using a neutral gray background gives good results both when cropping out and when adjusting the white balance when converting from RAW. The walls in the studio should be in a neutral color so as not to glare in the photo with unnecessary color.

It is not necessary to have a large photo studio and an expensive camera to take a shot that will make the viewer hold their eyes on the shot. Different people look at the same picture in the same way, but they see differently, adding something from themselves, drawing in their imagination something invisible to others.

Portrait photography is the area of ​​photography where the photographer can maximize their potential by experimenting with light, model poses and camera angles. I wish you all more successful pictures!

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30.08.2016

Portrait (photographic portrait) is one of the most widespread and most complex genres of modern photography, which came from painting and borrowed many of its artistic techniques. A portrait photograph should convey not only facial features of a person, but mood, emotions, inner world and the environment at the same time, look not only into the past and future, but also remain in the present.

A good artist-photographer should be a bit of a psychologist and be able to notice and reflect in one single frame the typical traits of a person's character, details not only physical, but also spiritual. And this is the main difficulty.

Time limit for shooting a portrait

Previously, when photography was in its infancy as an art form, photographers worked with long exposures, and people had to sit still in front of the camera for quite a long time.

Thanks to this, the picture turned out to be "deeper" - character traits were displayed, but the feeling of the fleetingness of the moment, lightness was lost. Today, with the development of technology, frames are obtained in moments, and it is necessary to combine both the “momentary” moment of life and the most typical features that make it possible to recognize this particular person.

Unlike a painter who has a lot of time to get to know the model whose portrait he is painting, the photographer is extremely limited in terms of time. In a shorter period of time, the photographer must see not only the psychological image of a person, his external and internal features, find the most characteristic poses for a portrait and expression, but also compose a composition of light, shadows, background and environment, emphasizing the individuality and uniqueness of the moment.

Features and varieties of a photograph

The center of any portrait is a person, and all other objects and objects are only of secondary importance, helping the perception and understanding of the protagonist.

It does not matter in what setting a person is photographed: in a household (studio or artistic portrait), during any events, competitions (reportage). The main thing remains the main thing - a reflection of the personality of the hero of the picture, the unique features of a person, his character. All events, setting, environment only complement the views and feelings of the audience.

Studio portrait in contemporary photography occupies about half of the genre. The second half is devoted to the reportage portrait, which has proven itself well in various articles, essays, reports and journalism. The main difference is that a photographer in a studio has more opportunities to transform a person's appearance, and in reportage photography, it is important to be able to capture a moment that most fully reflects what is happening in emotions.

Photographer: Dmitry Ageev

To create the most accurate portrait, the photographer often uses such artistic techniques as creating a background, the play of light and shadow, a certain position of the camera and technical parameters of shooting: sharpness and other settings, optics, as well as the position of a person and his pose.

Interesting publications on the site

The portrait is now one of the most widespread genres. People are photographed by both amateurs and professionals. The only difference is how they do it. In this lesson, we will understand exactly this, often elusive, difference between an artistic portrait and an everyday one.

Portrait photography: plot, idea, mood

We have already discussed more than once that photography should carry a semantic or emotional charge, tell a story. Portrait photography in this regard is no exception: it is important for us not only to convey a person's appearance, but also to tell about him, his character. The minimum is to show the mood at a particular moment in time.

What emotions does this picture evoke? Absolutely positive! Bright colors work for this (remember the second lesson), soft light with beautiful shadows, as well as the pose of the model - she seems to be running along a path. As a result, the image was formed.

Shooting a portrait -

The main thing is not to forget that photography is a complex in which everything is interconnected: background, color, light, facial expressions, and his posture.

And this picture is the complete opposite of the previous one: the model's tight posture, a tense gaze at the camera, a large number of dark tones, as well as cold-colored smoke on the background - all this creates a dramatic, depressing mood.

Portrait photography -

You are already familiar with some of the components, and we will deal with the rest in this lesson.

Shooting a portrait: composition features

In the second lesson, we discussed the rule of thirds and found out that it is far from always applied in a rigid form in a portrait, often it is necessary to deviate from it. For example, it is believed that if a person turns in one direction with his body, then more space should be left there than behind his back - this will emphasize the dynamics of the reversal.

However, this is not the only approach. If we do the opposite, that is, leave less space in front of the person than behind the back, then the frame will look more tense, more dramatic. That is, this way you can emphasize the mood of the hero of the picture.

You probably remember about the types of plans in photography - large, medium, general. There are their analogues in the portrait:

How to photograph people: shoulder portrait.

Only the upper body is included in the frame, approximately up to the chest, the head can be cropped to place the eyes on the top line of thirds. For a neutral transmission of the height of a person, that is, such that he will not seem small or tall, the camera must be placed at eye level.

How to photograph people: a half-length portrait.

It's called that, but in fact, the cropping goes along the hips. Above the head, space is already left so that the border does not press on the head. Here the camera can be positioned at shoulder level - so the height will be conveyed without distortion.

How to take a beautiful portrait: full-length portrait.

As the size increases, more and more space should remain around the person so that the image does not look cramped. Landmark - the eyes should be approximately on the top line of the thirds, maybe a little higher. The camera is positioned at chest level.

This division is conditional; there may well be intermediate sizes. One of the practical values ​​of this knowledge is the versatility of shooting. If you are making a series with one person, then it is better to take pictures of different sizes in order to fully reveal both the person and the conditions in which he is.

Separately, I would like to add about the height of the camera. The way this point is described above is not a rigid algorithm. You can shoot a person both from below and from above. You just need to understand that, for example, the lowest point of the photograph will help convey confidence, arrogance. And the upper point of the photograph will make the image softer, perhaps even uncertain.

In addition, there are quite serious restrictions on framing the human body. For example, you should not cut at the joints - elbows, knees, as this makes the hands look not very nice. Either higher or lower is needed. Also, shots in which the frame runs along the neck rarely look good, it is better to include the shoulders.

Shooting a portrait: light in a portrait

Shooting portraits, like landscapes, is best with mode lighting - the dynamic range of the scene is less, and due to the low position of the sun, it is easier to control the cut-off pattern by rotating the hero of the picture relative to the light source. It is important for us to achieve the effect when the cut-off pattern lays down evenly, does not have torn areas, strongly protruding shadows. This is most noticeable on the face, so you should focus on it. For example, you can rotate the person so that the face is illuminated and the shadows start on the cheekbone. In this case, the light will fall at approximately an angle of 45-50 degrees.

It is understood that 45 degrees is not the only possible angle of incidence for light. You can choose any other, the main thing is that at the same time the cut-off pattern lays down smoothly and beautifully.

Half of the face in the shadows makes the portrait more dramatic.

When illuminating one cheekbone, it is important to ensure that it does not interrupt attention from a slightly shaded face.

When shooting against the sun, you also need to be careful so that the faces do not turn out to be too dark.

Of course, it will not always be possible to shoot during working hours. If you try to illuminate a person with the midday sun, which is high, then not very beautiful shadows are formed around the eyes - the so-called "panda pattern". Or the shadow from the nose will go into the nose and crawl onto the lip - this is also best avoided. To avoid these problems, you can turn the person away from the sun so that his face is in the shadow, that is, shoot in backlight.

True, in this case, the background, if it is illuminated by the sun, will turn out to be overexposed - after all, the exposure should be set over the face, and the difference in brightness is too large. But this, in principle, is not considered a marriage.

In addition, you can take the hero into the shade - under the trees or behind some kind of building.

You just need to take into account that direct light has a greater expressiveness than reflected light, since when shooting in the shadows there are almost no shadows themselves.

Do not forget that you can shoot not only on the street, but also indoors - an apartment, a cafe, even an entrance. If the light is from the window, then a very beautiful cut-off pattern is obtained.

In addition, I would like to remind you that light can work for the mood of photography. If you want the frame to be dramatic, then you need contrasting shadows, a predominance of dark tones.

And for a positive portrait, in addition to bright colors, soft light is needed.

The use of shadows in the composition looks very cool. For example, you can find a place where the model will be lit and the background will be in shadow - this technique is called accent light.

In addition, you can use the lines of shadows, their projection on the environment of the heroes or on them. All this makes your photos extraordinary and more attractive.

Portrait photography: posing

More often than not, you will most likely be shooting inexperienced models, people who have not learned to pose. It's not bad, it just makes posing a little differently. After all, it is one of the most important factors in conveying the plot and mood in a photograph.

There are several requirements for a person's posture:

• By the time you took the camera in hand and started shooting, you already understand what you want to shoot, what to show to the viewer. And the pose should work for that! For example, the hero is cold, pensive or joyful. In ordinary life, in these cases, people take certain poses, and it is worth using them - so the viewer can count and understand the emotional state of the person being portrayed.

In this photo in the pose, you can clearly read the thoughtfulness.

Closed poses (for example, arms crossed) are good for dramatic subjects, open ones for positive ones. It will be nice if you learn sign language in order to lay the necessary emotional background on your own, suggesting this or that pose to the person being portrayed.

If some action is performed, then you need to catch the peak moment - this will look clearer.

• Someone crosses their arms over their chest, someone keeps them in their pockets - the posture must necessarily be familiar to the person, suit him. Otherwise, you cannot avoid tension, unnaturalness in posing.

• Magazine poses are good for magazines and experienced models. They learn to control their body for a long time in order to look beautiful. If you shoot a person inexperienced in posing, then it is unlikely that you will be able to repeat what you saw in the "gloss". Therefore, it is better to choose simple, vital postures.

Typical posing mistakes:

1. Do not hide your hands in your hair or behind your back - this makes them appear to be cut off. The same is with the pockets: at least the thumbs must be visible.
2. The neck is an expressive part of the body in a woman's portrait; try not to cover it with strongly raised shoulders.
3. If the hero rests his face on his hand, then the facial features should not be distorted.
4. Better not to smile with half your mouth - it doesn't look good. If you have any problems with your teeth, you can smile without showing them.
5. With a full-length portrait, make sure that the leg closest to the camera does not overlap the far one, otherwise the person will turn out to be one-legged.
6. It happens that inexperienced models smile, their body seems to be relaxed, but their hands give out internal tension, they are clenched - such things need to be noticed and corrected.
7. Looking into the lens is not always appropriate, try different options. You just need to make sure that the person being portrayed does not turn his eyes away from the camera too much, otherwise only the squirrels will be visible.

Many people are not confident in themselves, they are worried that they do not turn out well in photographs. In this case, the photographer acts not only as a photography specialist, but also as a psychologist who must prepare a person, promote him. How it's done:

1. Communicate with the person being portrayed: joke, talk on abstract topics, tell what you want to do - it liberates.
2. Be confident, even if you don’t know how best to take the shot. Otherwise, the hero will think that the problem is in him and will close psychologically.
3. Suggest spinning in front of the mirror before shooting so that the person knows their good angles.
4. If you do not know what position is needed, ask to take the usual one and start from this.
5. Every person has a temperament, a certain character - use that. If the person portrayed in life is calm, unsmiling, then you should not try to spin him into unrestrained fun, at least right away. Likewise, with positive people - it will be difficult to take a hard, dramatic picture with them.

Shooting portraits: harmony of location and clothing

It seems to be an insignificant detail, but the combination of wardrobe and location can both positively influence the plot of the photograph, the created image, and negatively. For example, will a girl in an evening dress look understandable, say, in the hayloft? It seems that not really. But if you place it in classical architecture or the same interior, then the person being portrayed will look harmonious.

In this case, the strict clothing of a man is harmonious with the same strict, minimalistic setting.

If the model is in a light summer dress, then the location should be chosen for it. It could be a green or blooming park, perhaps a field of flowers.

That is, it is very important here to ensure that the style of the shooting location and clothing is the same, then the hero will harmoniously fit into the shooting location. Moreover, you can look deeper and look for harmony not in style, but in the texture of clothing and its combination or opposition with the surrounding space.

In this case, the pattern on the clothes repeats the color of the foliage and this gives the photo harmony.

Eclecticism, that is, a mixture of styles, is possible, but there is a great risk of getting an incomprehensible shot. Or it will just look "cheap", intrusive. You have to be very careful here.

Portrait photography: creating an image

You have already learned enough tools that affect the expressiveness of a photo, can help you in shaping the plot and mood: composition (not only the location of the subject in the frame, but also its surroundings), close-up, color, light, posing (if we are talking about a portrait) ... It is now important to think over all the photos on all these points, not to miss the slightest detail. It seems difficult, at first something will be forgotten, but you need to strive for this. For example, let's analyze this snapshot:

The picture has a very bright emotional coloring, the photographer managed to catch a very good moment. At the same time, despite the child's facial expressions, the frame does not seem depressing, but rather cute. Why is that? Here soft light intervenes, as well as light tones, which minimize the negativity of the emotion. Because of this, a feeling of fleeting mood is created, it seems that literally in a minute the child will already be smiling.

This shot is a great example of how you can take a completely non-everyday shot at home. Why it happened: firstly, there is an amazing light - the main character is highlighted by him, while the background is already fading into shadow, that is, an accent has been created. In addition, the action that a woman performs is very readable, there is no question of what exactly she is doing. And the surroundings, the background are also very successful: it is clear that the action takes place in the apartment, but there is no overload, unnecessary objects. A big role in this was played by the rhythm of the books located behind the heroine. The result is a collective image of an elderly woman, in which each viewer can recognize someone from his life.

Focal length when shooting a portrait.

There is no Internet user who is not familiar with the portrait genre. The selfie with which all the photo storages are littered is also a portrait. The desire of the owner of an SLR camera, whether it is a modern digital camera or quite recently widespread film, to take a beautiful portrait is absolutely understandable. I often hear from users of smartphones of any brands that the portrait turns out to be somehow different. It seems like the eyes are in place, the smile is the same beloved, the nose is in order, the skin defects are automatically removed, well, the model is definitely recognizable, but something is not right. So what is it?

A conspiracy of software or hardware manufacturers? The answer is too simple and at the same time it takes time to investigate. This is due to the focal length of the lens of a smartphone or tablet. Think about how far away you usually shoot a face portrait. Most often, this distance is approximately equal to 1 meter.

Now close one eye with your hand, and with the other eye look at the model from a distance of 0.5-1 meters, as an iPhone lens does. Geometric distortions are immediately visible, such as the elongation of the nose, the absence of ears. Learn a picture that resembles the reflection of a face in a Christmas tree mirror ball. Almost a cartoon. Of course the phone software tries to clean up and correct these distortions, but the model's distorted face remains. And on the way out, we get dissatisfaction.

Nature has awarded us with two eyes. We are able to simultaneously look behind both sides of the head and see two ears at once. That is why I asked you to close one eye in the previous paragraph. This is the easiest way to understand the focal length.

Here's what we see with one eye at close range:

There are perspective distortions. Of course, you can recognize the girl, whether she is your friend, but such a portrait cannot be called successful. Cartoon and nothing else.

The second portrait was taken with a lens with a focal length longer than in the first case. And immediately order. Let's take a look at portraits shot with lenses with an even larger FR (focal length).

And even more:

In the latter case, we see the opposite picture - the face is flattened into a pancake and becomes, as it were, painted on a piece of cardboard. This is the influence of a long lens.

Face types

The planet carries a huge number of face types. It depends on race, nationality, place of residence, and it will be more accurate to say that it depends on genetics.
There is a humorous characterization of face types among old-school photographers. People with a flat type of face are called "pizza" or "pancake", and people with a brightly elongated nose and a forward face shape are called "horse".

I have deep respect for the citizens of the countries of Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Chinese, but nevertheless these are typical pizzas:

The analogy I think is clear, so I will not give a photo with a horse.

Why am I talking about face types. The fashion and beauty industry imposes on us the standards of a correct and beautiful face. This is just a girl standing exactly in the middle of the Pizza - Horse graduation. And that is why a girl with an oriental pizza-shaped face will calmly perceive her portrait with a wide-angle lens. This is the first snapshot above. The portrait was shot with a 16mm lens. It stretches the model's flat face and makes it as close as possible to the standard of beauty.

On the other hand, a girl with an elongated face would rather see herself through the eyes of a lens with a focal length of 200 or even 350 mm.

This is why not everyone likes smartphone selfies.

Choosing a lens for a certain type of face.

From the previous chapter, quite definite conclusions on the selection of a lens for shooting a portrait suggest itself. The photographer should choose the lens according to the type of person. You shoot a portrait of a Buryat or a Chinese woman - your choice is 20-40mm. Shooting a portrait of a pronounced Scandinavian woman - take a 200mm long range.

What to do with a regular face. The most common type. There is a well-established rule about 50-70mm. Indeed, when shooting with a standard lens, we get a normal face without distortion. This focal point is as close as possible to our eye perception. We are so comfortable.

When giving the FR values, I am talking about the FR of the lens, written on the lens body. I do not specifically confuse you with crop factors and pseudo-FR. Think for yourself, from what we cut off at the edges of any of the above portraits, the shape of the model's face will not change at all. The ears will not look out and the face will not be flattened into a pancake. Therefore, the crop factor is not important in this case.

How to take a beautiful portrait with KIT 18-55 (Canon or NIKON)

You have a variable focal length lens in your hands from 18 to 55 mm. How can you take a beautiful portrait with such a lens? There are several secrets.

1. In 99% of cases, we will shoot the portrait with the FR ring fully unscrewed to the 55mm mark. No matter how crowded it may seem, do not decrease the focal length.
2. You need to move away from the model as much as possible within the composition. Keep yourself in control, do not reduce the focal point in order to get closer. Be aware of distortion.
3. The KIT 18-55 lens is quite dark and therefore you just need to set the sensitivity to 1600 ISO. Do not listen to those who like to find digital noise and junk at xxxx zoom. A high ISO value will allow you to shoot with a fast shutter speed and not blur the frame at the maximum aperture. Let the stabilizer help, if you have one.
4. Consider the model's face type. If you are lucky enough to shoot a portrait of a Mongolian girl, then you can slightly reduce the FR to 25-30mm. She will not be offended and will most likely praise your work.
5. Be sure to shoot in RAW. Converting from a raw format will remove unnecessary light color tint, chromatic aberration, and optical distortion of the lens. Moreover, the most convenient and effective changes in brightness levels can be done exactly at the conversion stage. This will give you the lifesavers of pulling out a snapshot from a scrap with minor exposure flaws.

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In this article, we will tell you what technique is needed to shoot portraits, analyze the mistakes of beginners and debunk a couple of stereotypical myths.

With the massive proliferation of digital cameras, including DSLRs, the number of budding photographers began to grow by leaps and bounds. The favorite genre of most newcomers is the portrait. Relatives and friends, friends and girlfriends act as models, and organizing the shooting often does not cause any difficulties: “Liza / Dasha / Katya, let's take a photo in the park today? Just before lunch? Great, we agreed. " However, portraiture is a relatively complex genre and requires preparation, without which it is almost impossible to achieve an acceptable result. In this article we will try to explain what set of equipment is needed for shooting portraits, we will analyze the typical mistakes of beginners, and also debunk a couple of stereotypical myths.

Selection of equipment

Let's start with the foundation, that is, the technique. It is generally accepted among amateurs that shooting high-quality portraits requires a huge set of equipment, the price of which is in the tens of thousands of dollars. I can assure you: this is not true by 90 percent. Yes, if your goal is glamorous fashion-photo sessions in the style of Karl Lagerfeld with the use of five external flashes, smoke machines and wind turbines, then a little blood is not enough: you have to fork out. But in the case of a classic portrait, everything is much simpler.

True, not as easy as buying a digital camera and mindless shooting. Compact cameras are often functionally limited and cannot be manually configured. Due to the fact that tiny sensors (matrices) are used in this type of cameras, their color rendition and image quality are much worse than that of SLR cameras. For the same reason, it is almost impossible to achieve acceptable background blur with their help, but when shooting a portrait, it is very important to separate the model from the background and achieve clear visual accents. In addition, the required optics cannot be installed on compacts. Without third-party firmware, they often have no opportunity to shoot in RAW format (we will devote a separate material to it). Finally, if during the day you can still take pretty pictures at the very least, then in the evening the quality of the pictures deteriorates sharply: significant digital noise appears, and the color rendition becomes even less accurate. The verdict is disappointing: compactness and quality are opposite poles. And if you still want to shoot at a level that is clearly different from everyday life, then you will have to accept the fact that the correct camera will no longer fit into the headset.

Now we want to dispel the misconception that a reflex camera and a fast lens for it cost more than one thousand dollars. For beginners, the most basic cropped SLR cameras (see below for what it is), such as the Canon 600D or Nikon D5100, will be enough for the eyes. They will cost $ 500-520 and $ 480-500, respectively, complete with a standard 18-55mm zoom lens. And the cheapest "fifty kopeck piece" (lens with 50 mm FR) with a maximum aperture of 1.8 from both manufacturers costs about $ 100-120. It turns out that such a set is comparable in price with advanced "soap dishes" and mirrorless cameras, so it makes sense to save up some money and immediately take solid equipment. After all, a miser, as you know, pays twice. We are not in any way agitating you in favor of purchasing a DSLR camera, but we want to emphasize once again that in the case of "soap boxes" your opportunities for shooting portraits and all other genres will be noticeably limited.

And a couple more misconceptions about expensive technology. Undoubtedly, an expensive DSLR camera with a large sensor size (the so-called full-frame) and an 85mm lens with 1.4 or 1.2 aperture will provide an even better picture than that of amateur "cropped" DSLRs with "fifty". But if between a soap box and a "cropped" DSLR with "fifty" in terms of quality, there are conditionally ten steps, then between a "cropped" DSLR and a full-frame one there are a maximum of two. The proportion, of course, is exaggerated, but the difference in quality is more or less accurate.

Often, creativity and out-of-the-box thinking, combined with skillful handling of the reflector, competent settings, plus minimal processing, mean much more than expensive equipment (shot with a modest Canon 60D + Canon EF 50 f / 1.4 kit). Photo from hardnsoft.ru

How to use photography equipment correctly

If you only have a "soap dish" with non-interchangeable optics or a DSLR camera with a standard ("kit") zoom lens with a focal length range of 18-55, 18-105, or 18-135 mm (the most common values), try not to shoot at wide-angle position of the lens, at least slightly increase the focal length. In the case of SLR cameras, try to choose an equivalent AF (for a full-frame camera) of at least 50 mm. If this is a face or chest shot, then it is more correct to use a focal length of 85 (55mm lens on an APS-C camera is identical to 82-88mm in 35mm equivalent). This will minimize optical distortion and achieve the most lifelike portraits. Shooting close-ups at a focal length of 18 to 30-35 mm or at the widest angle position of the “soap dish” lens, you will surely get a convex face, an unnaturally large nose and forehead: it will seem that the person is painfully swollen.

Camera flash? Forget about it, and it doesn't matter what you have: a compact, DSLR or even a smartphone. It can be used only in cases where it is vital to take at least some kind of shot: take a picture with friends or relatives in complete darkness, for example, at an evening feast in the country. If you are shooting portraits with a hint of creativity, it is strictly forbidden to use on-camera flash. Direct light from the camera towards the subject makes the person's face visually flat, eliminates all shadows and drastically degrades the picture. It is believed that a shot taken with a flash "head-on" is a technical defect. Professionals use external flashes for shooting, which, together with reflectors and diffusers, are placed at different angles to the subject (most often 45 degrees) and fire simultaneously with the camera thanks to synchronizers. But this type of shooting is very special, it requires a lot of money, as well as significant skills in working with studio pulsed light.

The already mentioned reflector will be enough for a beginner from additional accessories. Moreover, it is not necessary at all and will only come in handy in sunny weather. It is preferable to take options with a radius of 90 or 110 cm, the manufacturer does not matter. Most reflectors are delivered in 5-in-1 format, that is, with five differently colored pieces of material that can be changed by pulling them onto the frame. The portrait painter is most interested in those with white and gold coatings. The advantage of a reflector is that by shooting the model against the sun or other light source, you can reflect and direct that light towards a person. The white surface gives off light exactly as it receives, and the golden one makes it warmer. A little caveat: the golden surface should only be used if you are familiar with the basic principles of post-processing and saving them in RAW format. Otherwise, don't even try: you may end up with an unnatural orange skin, which can be very difficult to correct in JPEG files.

The shot was shot against the sun, but thanks to the presence of two reflectors, the model turned out to be quite well lit. Photo from hardnsoft.ru

Shooting time, light

Now - about the shooting time and what lies at the heart of any photography: about light. Many aspiring photographers are accustomed to shooting in the morning closer to noon, arguing that "the more light, the better." Alas, it is not worth taking portraits at such a time. If you decide to photograph against the sun, direct sunlight will not fall on the person's face and body from the side of the lens; As a result, the background will be too light, and the model will be too dark. Do not forget that the camera sees slightly less detail in the light and dark areas than our eye, especially for "soap dishes".

If you put a person in direct sunlight, you get a completely ugly picture. Part of the face will be "beautified" by a huge triangular shadow from the nose, and the eyes, on which the shadow from the eyelids and eyebrows will fall, will turn into black holes. The only salvation in such a situation is to look for a dense shadow from the trees and shoot there, but, firstly, you will be severely limited in terms of places, plots and backgrounds, and secondly, in the full shadow of the light it may not be enough, especially if you you shoot with a "soap box" or even a DSLR camera with a standard lens.

When is the best time to shoot portraits? The ideal time is closer to sunset, or rather, 2-2.5 hours before it. At this time, the sun gradually begins to set, the light becomes softer and takes on a warm hue. How is it beneficial? First, the number and volume of shadow areas in nature increases significantly - sunlight falls at a shallower angle. Secondly, the lighting becomes not so harsh, and an hour and a half before full sunset it will already be possible to shoot a person in direct sunlight. The shadows from the nose soften, the eyes, thanks to the different angle of incidence of light, no longer turn into black holes. Thirdly, at sunset, you can shoot against the sun: the difference in illumination between light and dark areas is no longer so great. And if you also take an assistant with a reflector ...

The basics of portrait composition

Should I follow the rules of composition? Yes, yes and yes again. First of all, use the golden ratio. In case you are not already familiar with it, take a look at the illustration below.

Image from the site hardnsoft.ru

As you can see, the lines intersect at four points. So: these four points are considered to be the centers of visual attention; it is not far from them that it is best to place the main subject of shooting, in this case - the model.

If you are shooting a face or bust portrait, near one of the top points should be the eye of the person you are deliberately focusing on. If you are shooting a half-length or full-length shot, then there should be a face close to one of the top points. This rule, of course, is not a dogma: sometimes it can and should be violated, and the best shots are often obtained in violation of many rules. However, it is best for budding photographers to exercise, given the wisdom of the ages. Over time, there will be a clear understanding of when the rules can and should be ignored.

Do not forget about the space for your eyes. So, if a person looks to the right, his face should be located on the left side of the frame, if to the left, then on the right. Looks down at the top, looks up at the bottom.

A classic example of a frame shot with the rule of the golden ratio. Photo from hardnsoft.ru

How to achieve a beautiful picture

When shooting portraits, you often want to blur the background as much as possible in order to maximize the focus on the subject. What parameters affect the blurring of the background? So, remember: the focal length (FR) of the lens, aperture, the distance from the model to the background.

With the focal length, everything is simple: the larger it is, the more the background is blurred. So, if you are using a lens with a variable focal length, that is, "zoom", at a value of 55 mm, the background will be blurred more than, for example, at 35 mm. In the case of "point-and-shoot" cameras, try to use the zoom to the extent that it is still optical: from a certain point, many cameras use digital zoom, and it spoils the quality of the picture.

There are no particular difficulties with the diaphragm either. The more it is open, that is, the lower the aperture value is set, the more the background is blurred. For example, at an aperture of 5.6, the background will be blurred more than at 8.0. If you are using a pocket camera that does not have manual modes, set the scene program to Portrait (usually indicated by a human face icon on the mode dial or in the menu). In this case, the camera will set itself a more or less open aperture.

The above parameters (focal length and aperture) are directly determined by the camera with its settings and lens, but the distance from the model to the background does not depend on your financial capabilities. Again, the further the distance from the model to the background, the more it will be blurred. Imagine that there are dense thickets about 2-3 meters behind the model. Even the most expensive lenses and cameras will not allow you to completely blur them. But as soon as the model is taken 20-30 meters away from them, even a budget standard lens will provide a beautiful and “deep” picture, in which the subject will be clearly separated from the background. Even a "soap dish" will demonstrate that with its help the background can be blurred at least a little.

With a fast lens that allows you to set aperture values ​​like 1.8, 2.0 or at least 2.2, the beauty of background blur is no longer the most critical parameter. Now the main thing is the uniformity of the background color. A solid-colored or close-to-this background, preferably green or yellowish, looks best.

The shot was taken with a full-frame camera at a focal length of 135 mm with an aperture of 2.0. Please note: the tree remains extremely sharp, and the background, located 40-50 meters behind the model, is completely blurred. Photo from hardnsoft.ru

However, there are situations when you don't need to blur the background. For example, you want to shoot a portrait in front of the Eiffel Tower or near some textured wall. In such a situation, we act strictly the opposite: we slightly cover the diaphragm, and bring the model as close to the background as possible. Also, when shooting a person waist-deep or tall with architectural objects in the background, a wide-angle lens or a standard zoom is desirable, with a minimum FR of 18 mm (for a "crop") or 28 mm (for a full frame). In the case of "point-and-shoot" cameras, we simply select the widest angle position of the lens.

Reverse example. The frame was taken with a full-frame camera with a 50mm lens and 1.4 f / number. Despite the fact that the diaphragm is fully open, the plants near the model remain extremely sharp, due to the small distance between them and the subject. Photo from hardnsoft.ru

And how does the size of the camera sensor (matrix) affect the degree of blur? In photographs with the same composition and "size" of the model in the frame, the background will be more blurred in the picture taken with a full-frame camera (the size of the sensor in area is equal to a frame of 35 mm film), rather than a "cropped" model (that is, with a smaller by sensor area). Everything is very simple: on a full-frame camera, to obtain the same image scale (with all other settings being the same), a lens with a large (as many times as the sensor area of ​​a "cropped" camera) focal length should be used. For example, compared to a camera equipped with an APS-C sensor, it is 1.5-1.6 times, and with a Four Thirds sensor - 2 times. These numbers are the same notorious "crop factor".

Technical subtleties of shooting

How to focus? Best of all - along the center point. In the camera settings, select the focusing mode by one point (better on the central one, since there is always a more sensitive sensor), point it at the eye, press the shutter button halfway (so-called half-press) and wait for the camera to focus (usually the frame around the point turns green and the camera beeps). If there is a lot of light, then it will take a fraction of a second; if there is not enough light, it may take 2-3 seconds. In very bad conditions, you may not be able to focus at all. Then just try to change the place or slightly turn the model towards the light. Alternatively, ask the person to pick up a cell phone and light their face.

After the camera has focused, you can, while holding the shutter button half-pressed, move the camera as you like, that is, "frame". When you get the desired composition, press the shutter button all the way. A small caveat: all this must be done quickly, within 1-2 seconds. First, imagine the finished frame, and only then start shooting it, otherwise it may turn out that either you yourself slightly change your position in space, or the person gets tired of standing and moves a little, and as a result, the focus will fall, say, on the ears, and not on eyes.

By the way, one more piece of advice: if you purchased a high-aperture lens, that is, one that has a minimum aperture value of 2.8, 2.0, 1.8 or even less (1.4, 1.2), do not use this extreme aperture value: as a rule, it has a lens on it. it will either not be sharp enough or will blur objects in the background in a not very aesthetic way. Close the diaphragm a little - one stop or at least 2/3 of a stop. For example, for a lens with aperture of 1.4 these will be the numbers 2.0 and 1.8, for 1.8 - 2.5 and 2.2, and for 2.0 - 2.8 and 2.5.

How to work with settings? With the proper handling of the camera and knowledge of how to turn on the so-called creative modes on it, we recommend that you select Aperture Priority (usually indicated as A or Av): here you set the appropriate aperture and sensitivity (ISO) values, and camera automatics selects shutter speed (S, Tv).

In accordance with the classical rule of safe exposure, its value should be no more than that calculated by the formula 1 / (lens FR of the lens when shooting), otherwise there is a high probability of getting a blurry frame due to hand shake and lens movement. For example, for a "fifty" you need a shutter speed of 1/60 s and shorter, for a moderate "portrait" (85-105 mm) - 1 / 100-1 / 125 s, and for a 135-mm lens - 1 / 150-1 / 200 with. All of the above is true for full-frame cameras. For lenses mounted on cropped cameras, the shutter speed must be further shortened (in proportion to the crop factor). For example, for a 50mm lens mounted on a camera with an APS-C sensor, the shutter speed should be no faster than 1 / 80-1 / 100 s.

But what if the automation offers a slower shutter speed? Then raise the ISO until the shutter speed is acceptable. What if the settings seem to be all right, but the frame is too light or too dark? Then you should use the exposure compensation scale - exposure compensation (enter a compensating value: with overexposure - in minus, and with darkening - in plus). We recommend switching to manual mode, or Manual (M), when the camera, even taking into account the exposure compensation, makes a big mistake; usually this happens only with dynamically changing artificial lighting (concert, disco, etc.).

Enjoy your shooting and gorgeous portraits!